Havana Restaurant

Havana

by Frank Quattrone

We arrived during the second wave of the Winterfest pub crawl. Havana was bursting with Civil War reenactors and their giddy followers, flowing from room to room in the sprawling (almost 300-seat) restaurant, singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” raising their craft beers, mojitos, and other cocktails in unison. Other patrons were chattering away, buzzing in the dimly lighted rooms, enjoying jumbo lump crab cakes and dinner burgers, cozying up nicely by the fireplace — or even on the coveted, covered patio, warmed by patio heaters, as hordes of tourists streamed by on this warmish but drizzly day late in January.

Genial, fun-loving owner Mark Stevens says that, even on frigid or snowy winter evenings, guests line up for up to two hours just to enjoy the patio’s charms. But that’s only one of Havana’s many lures. The original owners so named their restaurant Havana, according to Stevens, because it suggested “something taboo, something exotic and exciting.” And since its opening in 1978 on one of the busiest blocks in New Hope, Havana has surely delivered on that promise.

Taboo? No. Exciting, yes! Even before Stevens became sole owner in 2008, he had begun to introduce live entertainment. No surprise there, as Stevens’ resume is as entertaining as they come. Before joining the Havana team in 1993, he had worked for seventeen years at Sesame Place, training birds to sing, roller skate and ride bikes for the kids. Here’s a man who finds bartending entertaining and whose personal pastimes include hiking the Appalachian Trail at least a few miles every year (until he’s conquered its entire length)!

Now you know why more than four-dozen Grammy-nominated musical artists — including Dave Matthews guitarist Tim Reynolds and world-class tribute bands —have performed at Havana. They love the acoustical sound system Stevens has installed. They love the vibe.

And there’s entertainment for every taste. Besides ticketed shows on Friday and Saturday nights, a sixteen-piece orchestra plays big-band music on the first Sunday of every month. Stevens says, “We are a melting pot of all ages. Whatever you like, you’ll find it here. Live music draws the 40- to 60 crowd. At midnight, the deejay brings in the 21- to 30 crowd.”

But Havana’s patrons also come for the food. Asked whether his menu is inspired by Cuban and Caribbean cuisine, Stevens demurs. He says, “We call it ‘world cuisine.’ It’s eclectic. After all, it’s a tourist town. We want to attract all tastes. And our executive chef, Miguel Quiroz, who’s been here since Havana opened —really aims to please. He learned so much from his mother. He started cooking at 10 years old. Like the top-quality music we offer, we’re also committed to top-quality food. Everything here is made here with the freshest ingredients we can find.”

The menu, in a word, is irresistible. Eve started out with the Pistachio-Prosciutto-Asparagus Goat Cheese Salad, drizzled with a tomato basil vinaigrette, with the best grilled marinated asparagus we’ve had in years — a sumptuous, veritable meal in itself. I couldn’t resist the Havana Ceviche, a Martini glass brim full with chopped shrimp, scallops, red onion, fresh mango, cilantro, and jalapeños in lime juice topped with fresh avocado and served with tri-colored house-made tortilla chips.

Our entrées were no less satisfying. Eve enjoyed the Grilled Thai Salmon, kissed with a sweet Thai chili pepper sauce, with her choice of Captain Morgan sweet potatoes, while I wanted the Ropa Vieja. An authentic and popular Cuban dish, Ropa Vieja is an outstanding, flavorful plate of shredded flank steak, braised in a tomato sauce with bell peppers, onions and red wine, served over rice with maduros, or sweet plantains.

We tried a few of Havana’s signature sides — Gigantic Sesame Onion Rings, freshly peeled and served with a spicy chipotle dipping sauce; and a small portion of rich Havana Crab Mac and Cheese, topped with bread crumbs. Also highly recommended are Havana’s award-winning Chili Nachos; the sautéed jumbo lump Crabcake Salad, served over spring mix, topped with frizzled onions, with a mustard-shallot vinaigrette with remoulade sauce on the side; and the ten-ounce Habañero Avocado Burger, served with guacamole, habañero cream sauce, cheddar cheese and bacon, accompanied with crunchy fries, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles.

We also enjoyed two of Havana’s signature cocktails — Voodoo Juice, a blend of

Cruzan pineapple rum, Malibu coconut rum, and Cruzan mango rum with cranberry, orange, and pineapple juice, with Cruzan dark rum floater; and Razz-Mango, made with Cruzan mango rum, raspberry liqueur, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice, garnished with a fresh lime. For dessert, we shared Havana’s sinfully exquisite Chocolate Hazelnut Bread Pudding, served over a pool of whiskey cream dusted with powdered sugar. Yep, like everything we experienced at Havana — as good as it sounds.

In a word, Havana is an exotic escape from the mundane. While it might not be “taboo,” it’s certainly all that owner Mike Stevens says: “A laid-back, happy, fun place, where customers return to again and again because they know we all have a good time here.”

Havana is located at 105 South Main Street, New Hope, PA 18938; 215-862-5501; www.havananewhope.com. Open daily, noon–2 p.m. Serving food, noon–10 p.m., Monday through Thursday and Sunday; noon to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Available for catering, private parties. Live entertainment, including ticketed events. Reservations needed for parties of ten or more.

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